The Kite Runner

Published by: Riverhead Books
Release Date: October 3, 2023
Pages: 352
ISBN13: 978-0593717264
Buy the Book: AmazonBarnes & NobleBooks-A-MillionIndieBoundAlso available in the UK

Overview

The New York Times bestseller and international classic loved by millions of readers.

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic.


Excerpt

Discussion Questions

Praise

“An astonishing, powerful book.”
Diane Sawyer

“This powerful first novel, by an Afghan physician now living in California, tells a story of fierce cruelty and fierce yet redeeming love…In The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini gives us a vivid and engaging story that reminds us how long his people have been struggling to triumph over the forces of violence – forces that continue to threaten them even today.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“Like Gone with the Wind, this extraordinary first novel locates the personal struggles of everyday people in the terrible sweep of history.”
—People 

“Poignant…The Kite Runner offers a moving portrait of modern Afghanistan, from its pre-Russian-invasion glory days through the terrible reign of the Taliban.”
—Entertainment Weekly (Grade: A)

“A marvelous first novel… an incredible story of the culture. It’s an old-fashioned kind of novel that really sweeps you away.”
—San Francisco Chronicle

“A powerful book…no frills, no nonsense, just hard, spare prose…an intimate account of family and friendship, betrayal and salvation that requires no atlas or translation to engage and enlighten us. Parts of The Kite Runner are raw and excruciating to read, yet the book in its entirety is lovingly written.”
—The Washington Post Book World 

The Kite Runner, Hosseini’s first novel, is more than just good writing. It is also a wonderfully conjured story that offers a glimpse into an Afghanistan most Americans have never seen, and depicts a side of humanity rarely revealed.”
—The Philadelphia Inquirer 


Movie

Originally screened in theaters on December 14, 2007 the film, directed by Marc Forster is an adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s novel of the same title, The Kite Runner. The screen adaptation was performed by David Benioff. Set in Afghanistan, the film was mostly shot in Kashgar, China for safety reasons. The majority of the film is in Dari with subtitles or English. In 2007, the film was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the film’s score, by Alberto Iglesias, was nominated for Best Original Score at both the Golden Globes and Academy Awards. The DVD was released on March 25, 2008.

Learn more about The Kite Runner Movie